Traversing the South Face Track and more

Monday 14th September 2026

Toorongo Falls

I'm packed up and leaving Walhalla by 9:30 a.m. after cleaning the corpses of about 50 squillion insects from my windscreen. The town is incredibly quiet, but it is a Monday morning. There is a lyre bird scratching away in what could be a garden bed close to the house and I commence a very scenic drive.

I stopped briefly at Thompson to admire the railway where it crosses the river and note the traditional wooden supports on the approach to the riverbed, but the more modern concrete supports as it crosses the river. 

The railway bridge at Thompson

I stop in Rawson for supplies for dinner and their fresh food  offerings consist of tomatoes and bananas. 

I do manage to buy a small tin of salmon, a container of instant rice and a tin of pears, carrots and corn. So I will not starve tonight even though it's not going to be a gourmet meal.

I had thought to top up with petrol but the petrol place is closed.

Soon after Rawson I turn onto the South Face Track, a wide gravelled road with a pretty good surface that is well maintained, for forestry operations, I believe. There are numerous tracks off to the side. Some of them clearly logging spurs others - who knows? but they don't look like a track I ought to explore in the car. 

I am aware that off to my left is one amazing view but I cannot really see it through the trees. 

Tyers River

As suggested by a volunteer on the railway yesterday, I stop at a Tyers River bridge (and a few others) and admire the river which is truly beautiful with its enormous mossy boulders.

Tyers River

I stopped at Hope Creek to have a look at the Hope Cascade waterfall but access from the road looks way too challenging so I just enjoy what I can see from the road. 

Hope Cascade

Hope Cascade

I'm in two minds as to whether to go at Mount Baw Baw when I get to the entry point, as it requests $69 a day for car access. But Google suggests that outside the ski season, which technically ends at the end of this month, that payment is not required; so given everything appears closed I run the risk. 

It's beautiful forest that I drive through, with big, mossy boulders, which is rather lovely; then I enter the cloud.

At 1,475m above sea level, the village isn't exactly the highest resort in the country. 

My Baw Baw ski village

Given it's 10°, I don't expect there's a spot of white anywhere. 

As I drive down the mountain, the trees get taller and I drop below the cloud. 

Taller trees

I continue on, winding my way down the steep and thickly wooded hill with many left hand bends offering a promise of interesting gullies, but again so thickly wooded there isn't much that can be seen. The environment is sufficiently damp to support a variety of ferns, including some very beautiful tree ferns.

The debris on the road speaks to me of some very high winds recently. I'm glad it's calmer today and there's even a hint of sun coming through.

I stopped briefly in Tanjil Bren. I had looked last night at the option of accommodation here, but all required at least two nights and were a little expensive. It's basically ski field accommodation.

The toilet block has a lovely mural.

Beautifying the toilet block

The European history of Tanjil Bren was based around forestry and according to the sign, it now has nine permanent residents. And a few businesses, including snow chain hire.

I look at the dugout which saved the lives of the men working at the sawmills in 1939; while no longer recommend as a refuge in the event of a fire, it is preserved in the interests of heritage.

It's a quiet, peaceful, little village.

It really is a beautiful road but since I am not driving a hire car, and I am the wrong ethnicity, I don't stop in the middle of the road to take a photo. I do however pull over at an opportune place beside Icy Creek.

Icy Creek

Icy Creek

A section of the road scenery

But not before. I have slowed down as a lyre bird took flight across the road.

Indigenous carving at the start of the Toorongo Falls track

I'm in two minds about diverting to visit the Toorongo Falls but a call to the caravan park I've pegged for tonight reassures me, and I divert.  The short drive into Toorongo Falls is very pretty in a rural way. It reminds me somewhat of the drive into Meander. As I start the walk, the sound of rapids quickly changes to a view to accompany the sound and it's beautiful. I also spot the leaves of a bird orchid on the way; that turns out to be a solitary observation!

My first view of the creek on the Toorongo Falls walk

The track climbs up with a certain degree of assertiveness and bring me fairly promptly to the waterfall which is just stunning, as is the forest with its incredibly tall, straight gum trees and some very tall tree ferns and all the other growth as well.

The creek gets prettier

And where the bridge crosses, it is beautiful upstream

And where the bridge crosses, it is beautiful downstream as well

rapids

And the waterfall itself

I continue across to Amphitheatre Falls which are also quite nice and then pretty well follow that rivet down and it's rapids most of the way, so the sound is beautiful and the views are beautiful

New fronds on tree ferns

Ampitheatre falls

At one point on the return section I can hear creeks with rapids on both sides of me. That's a bit special

rapids downstream of Amphitheatre falls

Overall, a walk well worth doing.

The campsite at the falls reserve looks pleasant enough but at the end of the day its sole facility is a pit toilet and I don't feel intrepid enough to dip in the river for my ablutions.

Extensive patches of daffodils in the fields as I drive back to the main route tell of homes long since gone, probably to fire.

My diversion to the Noojee trestle bridge is a little bit of a wow moment. It's huge. It is the biggest one remaining in Victoria and one is permitted to walk across it.

"Bridge Number 7" the Noojee trestle bridge

It's hard to get the perspective for a good photo of the whole bridge, but it really is spectacular.

"Bridge Number 7" the Noojee trestle bridge

I continue on to the Yarra Valley Caravan Park which is less grim in its layout than some and the manager I spoke with and who showed me my site and the facilities was a bit of a sweetie. As usual, the unpowered sites are a serious hike from the amenities but the camp kitchen is more comfortable than many - it has 4 walls, a roof and a door that is kept closed as well as a small oven and hotplates to keep the microwave and jug and toaster company.  And there is a proper table and chairs.   It's a shame that my makeshift dinner does not really do it justice but fellow campers suggest it looks a better effort than I have described.  I will say, it was easy.

Nothing like a good koala backside photos

The manager, Tony, pointed out to me a koala when he showed me my camp site and later in the evening when I was sitting relaxing. I could hear it growling.

Sunset!

There is a very pretty sunset and it is a very mild evening and I sit out until 9.  It will be interesting to see when the forecast rain starts...

Aids to relaxation after a day's exploring and camp is set up